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On October 1st, the WPPC of Greater Houston, with support from the WPPCs of North Texas and South Texas, hosted the 27th Annual Texas Tamale Tailgate (T3) at the '49er Lodge at West Point. Over 600 cadets and guests were served a Texas feast including tamales shipped from Houston, BBQ brisket, ribs, sausage, sides, and a large selection of homemade desserts. T3 Chair Michelle Horn, WPPC of South Texas President Laura Lamoureux, and WPPC of North Texas Representative Jeff Vernier represented the Texas Clubs and presented a check for $2,000 to Todd Browne '85, The McDonald President & CEO of the West Point Association of Graduates, and WPAOG Parent Giving Officer Shelisa Baskerville.
The West Point Parents Club of South Florida participated in the Honor Flights Event at Ft. Lauderdale airport. The Honor Flight Network is a national network of independent Hubs working together to honor our nation's veterans with an all-expenses paid trip to the memorials in Washington, DC, a trip many of our veterans may not otherwise be able to take. Their group included parents, siblings, and friends of West Point cadets. Attendance was robust with participants from many other groups.
The West Point Parents Club of Southwest Florida held a Mom's Night Out at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse in Fort Myers, Florida. The small, but mighty gathering was attended by proud Plebe, Yuk and Firstie moms making for great conversation and connection over their recently attended West Point events of A-Day and Ring Ceremony.
The West Point Parents Club of Maryland, DC and Virginia replaced their traditional summer "potluck" with a craft event which resulted in a lively exchange of ideas and excitement for the new year. "Master Crafters" Mary and Rhonda led the group in making Cadet Uniform Factory button keychains and necklace lockets, inspired by the West Point Parents Club of Southeast PA. They had a great time getting to know other parents!
The West Point Parents Club of South Florida recently held a Mid-Beast Parent/Family Social at Miller's Ale House in Davie, Florida. The South Florida Club got together to support the Class of 2026 families as their new cadets work through Beast.
The West Point Parents Club of Southeastern Pennsylvania recently welcomed new families at their Annual New Cadet Picnic. A 2022 grad was on hand to speak and answer questions, and 10 new cadet families participated. The also welcomed local families at R-Day in Ike Hall.
On July 9, the West Point Parents Club of Arizona welcomed its newest members, the parents of the Class of 2026, to its meeting. Members enjoyed brunch and began discussing the needs the club has for its upcoming golf tournament fundraiser on September 23 at Falcon Dunes Golf Course. After their planning was complete, members of the club heard from the parents of the Class of 2026 about their son's and daughter's experiences so far with Beast and answered any questions new parents had.
The West Point Parents Club of Arizona hosted a luncheon in Scottsdale, AZ, at the Orange Tree Golf Resort, prior to R-Day for the new cadets of the Class of 2026. COL (R) Mark McKearn '81 gave an informative talk about the 47-month West Point experience that members of the Class of 2026 were about to embark upon. Cadets Erica Esterly '24, Jackson Pophy '24, and 2LT David Martin '22 also attended. They ate with the candidates and answered their questions. As a recent graduate, Martin also spoke to the entire group about his four years at West Point. Current club parents got to know the new 2026 parents and offered their support and advice, especially with regard to Beast and all it involves.
he West Point Parent Club of WPPC-MDDCVA transported 11 Cadets, in the Washington DC area for Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD), to Oriole Park at Camden Yards to enjoy "West Point Day." A joint function hosted by area West Point Societies and attended by more than 200 society members and their guests. The Societies arranged special seating for the Cadets and a leadership talk with Orioles Hall of Fame outfielder, Al Bumbry. Mr. Bumbry served in the United States Army leading a platoon in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star Medal. The day was made special with CDT Aiden Reinhardt '23 representing the West Point Cadets with the ceremonial first pitch!
Earlier this year the Wisconsin West Point Parents Association packed over 60 Boodle Boxes and one of parent personally delivered them to their cadets at West Point. Members enjoyed the afternoon socializing, packing, and eating lunch provided by the association.
The West Point Parents Club of Maine took time to enrich relationships with a Boodle Box party. WPPC of Maine met at Margarita's Mexican Restaurant to talk about cadet experiences, share stories and pack the boxes to the brim with delicious goodies that had been donated by parents, including an extra special Easter egg. They are looking forward to many more gatherings in the year to come and are excited to welcome the Class of 2026 parents to the club.
The West Point Parent Club of South Florida held a "Hail and Farewell" on June 5 at Sergio's in Pembroke Pines. The event was to congratulate the club's new 2LT's and welcome the Class of 2026.
The West Point Parent Club of Maryland, DC, and Virginia hosted 29 New Cadet Candidates, their families, Field Force Representatives, and "Old Grads" from the 50-Year Affiliate Class, Spirit of '76 for lunch donated by Mission BBQ. After introducing themselves, the New Cadet Candidates had breakout sessions with a Cadet from the Class of '24, and a "newly minted" 2LT, Class of '22. Parents received helpful information and advice from the West Point Association of Graduates, Parent Giving Officer, and the West Point Public Affairs Office, Parent Communications Liaison.
The West Point Parents Club of South Florida took some time out to enrich relationships within the club by enjoying a social evening out. WPPC of South Florida attended a Florida Panthers hockey game vs. the Buffalo Sabers at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise Florida. The Panthers won in the last 30 seconds with the 4th goal of the evening! The club enjoyed a great night out strengthening the bonds between each other.
The West Point Parents Club of Northern California had their annual "Parent Boodle Party" get-together and sent over 70 "care" Packages to every Plebe and Yearling from Northern California recently. This tradition, to let their cadets know that they are missed by their families, (and bring a little cheer to that January post-holiday gloom), has been going on for many years. Parents gather and each family brings snacks or fun items and box them up in assembly-line style, to mail to the Northern California Cadets.
The West Point Parent Club of Maryland, DC and Virginia hosted its first tailgate during this year's Parent Weekend. Many unforgettable memories were made as over 150 cadets and families enjoyed a delicious BBQ buffet that was catered by Bristin BBQ, a family-owned catering business located in Fort Montgomery.
West Point's Competitive Club Handball team traveled to Naples, FL and won the Florida Cup tournament! The West Point Parent Club of Southwest Florida and West Point Society of Naples' members came out to support the team during live action play. Before returning back to West Point, the team enjoyed some time off in the Florida sun at an afternoon cookout hosted by the President of the WPPC of Southwest Florida.
Photo: Team pictured with General Gary Speer '72 in lower photo
One Amazon Wish List + 22 boodle packers + 4 boodle drivers + 300 boodle boxes = countless Cadet smiles! The generous donations from Club parents ensured that each Cadet from their area received a personal boodle box. Also, along for the ride, were cookies and treats for any Cadet that stopped by in front of the library on a rare sunny February Friday afternoon. They were glad to help the Cadets "beat the gloom" with a delivery of boodle to West Point.
Members of the West Point Parents Club of Southwest Florida "adopted" a local family in need again this year to spread a little Christmas Joy! The family of six was overwhelmed by the collective efforts which made for a holiday they could never have dreamed of otherwise and will continue to provide basic necessities for the family in the months to come. The family received $1600 in cash, over $1600 in gift cards, as well as food, toiletries, household items, and special toys and personal gifts for each family member. In this season of giving, they were grateful to be a small part of truly making a difference - offering hope, providing support, and creating some holiday magic - for this special family.
The West Point Parent Club of Maryland, DC and Virginia hosted its first tailgate during this year's Parent Weekend. Many unforgettable memories were made as over 150 cadets and families enjoyed a delicious BBQ buffet that was catered by Bristin BBQ, a family-owned catering business located in Fort Montgomery. A festive atmosphere was created with fall themed decorations, pumpkin carving, and plenty of Halloween sweet treats. The club would like to thank their wonderful volunteers, and gracious hosts, Colonel and Shelisa Baskerville for helping this event become the success it was.
Members of the West Point Parent Club of South Florida gathered for an Army/Air Force game watch party on November 6. The party was held in Bru's Room in Coral Springs, FL and they collected items to donate and support the VA in Miami for Veterans Day.
Members of the West Point Parent Club of Southwest Florida supported a local area Veteran's Day event. The Veteran's Day parade marched through Cape Coral, FL marking this important day of remembrance. It was a small way to say 'thank you" to all who wear and have worn the uniform!
On November 6th, the West Point Parent Club of Southwest Florida, along with members of the West Point Society of Naples, gathered at a local brewery in Fort Myers, FL to cheer on and celebrate the Army Black Knights victory over the Air Force Falcons!
The West Point Parent Clubs of South and Southwest Florida joined forces to hold their first tailgate at West Point over this year's Family weekend. Over 65 parents attended the morning breakfast and after game BBQ. All cadets affiliated with both clubs were invited to join in the fun, food and fellowship throughout the day. The parents club would like to give a BIG shout out and thank you to both Shelisa Baskerville and Deb Dalton for stopping by and providing a warm welcome to the Florida tailgate "newbies"!
The Texas Tamale Tailgate (T3) returned to the '49er Lodge on West Point. The event, which was hosted by the West Point Parent Club (WPPC) of Greater Houston, with support from the WPPC of South Texas and the WPPC of North Texas, provided a Texas feast to 400 cadets and guests. The meal included tamales, brisket, ribs, sausage, sides, and a huge selection of both donated and homemade desserts. In support of the West Point Parents Fund, WPPC of Greater Houston presented a check for $2,000 to WPAOG President and CEO Todd Browne '85 and Development Officer Shelisa Baskerville. Thank you!
The West Point Parent Club of New York and New Jersey was honored to be on post at the March Back to support The Class of 2025 families and cadets. They provided waters, snacks, poster board/markers for sign making, and free Duty/Honor/Country candles to their club families. What an amazing day full of excitement, anticipation, and pride for them and their '25 cadets who "Slayed the Beast".
The West Point Parent Club of New York and New Jersey had a Cadet Candidate Picnic on June 6, 2021, to welcome the Class of 2025. John & Terri Grisoni along with AOG members did an amazing job organizing, setting up, and taking everything down. What an outstanding group of Old Grads. The event had over 100 guests in attendance, and it was organized by the West Point Society of Mid-Hudson and the Parents Club of West Point serving New York and New Jersey. It was held at West Point 2nd Aviation Detachment Hangar and the special speaker was Colonel Tanya Estes '95, Old Grad 2LT Bryan Kim '21 and Cadet Mackenzie Arns '23 were also featured speakers who interacted with the new cadet candidates and answered questions.
The West Point Association of Graduates offers a range of services for cadet parents. West Point, WPAOG's quarterly alumni magazine, is mailed to all cadet parents free of charge. We also send a monthly enewsletter to parent with cadet and Academy news updates. We hope you will follow our social media—we're on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Check our website for Cadet News. If you subscribe, all news will be delivered straight to your email! You will also find additional information and resources for parents on our website at WestPointAOG.org/ParentResources.
The West Point Parent Club of North Carolina gather at their annual Hail and Farewell Picnic on June 6, welcoming incoming cadet candidates and honoring the North Carolina grads from the Class of 2021, now commissioned 2LT's! They were very thankful for their special guests, 50-year affiliates, Jim Slavin '75 and Charles Ford '75 for their words of wisdom and encouragement.
The WPAOG Parent Handbook provides everything you need to know about being a member of the West Point community and participating in your cadet's 47-month experience. The guide includes valuable information about visiting West Point, resources available to families, WPAOG support and services, connecting with other families through the WPAOG website's Parent Portal, how to become involved with Parents Clubs, and special events. Thanks to generous donations to funds like the West Point Parents Fund, the Parent Handbook is available now to download from the Parent Portal for all families. If you have any questions, please contact Shelisa Baskerville at 845.446.1535 or email@example.com.
The West Point Parent Club of Southwest Florida held a Meet & Greet dinner for the seven, local, incoming Class of 2025 cadets and their families on June 6, 2021. Five of the seven new cadets attended, and of the two cadets who could not attend had family members present. Three members of the Class of 2023 and rising Cows Noah Sheffield, Katelyn Brunson and Kiersten Eggers were on hand to speak one on one with the cadet candidates and share their personal experiences. General Gary Speer and his wife, Cathy, also attended to offer words of support and encouragement to these young adults who are about to embark on their 47-month West Point journey. Congratulations and best wishes to Jack Laterra, Kelli Ahlquist, Jake Azizi, Jake Gibson, Anthony Tinerella, and not pictured Liam Holston & Austin Henning!
As the Class of 2021 was officially dismissed, the West Point Parent Club of Southwest Florida along with the West Point Society of Naples hosted a virtual Hail & Farewell celebration to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of their graduating Firsties and incoming New Cadets.
The celebration video featured pre-recorded messages from their soon-to-be 2LTs, local area cadets, family members, and members of the West Point Society of Naples Board of Directors. It also included a special message from Ambassador Dell Dailey '71, a member of the 50-Year Affiliation Class for the Class of 2021.
You are welcome to join in their celebration and can click here to watch the video.
The West Point Parents Club of Southwest Florida offers their congratulations to each member of the Class of 2021 and incoming Class of 2025 who answered the Nation's call to serve.
The West Point Parent Club of New Jersey has Reached Quarter of a Million Dollar Fundraising Level for West Point Class Funds. Since 2012 two volunteer members of the West Point Parents Club of New Jersey, Bob Mosera and Joel Boroff, have co-chaired each year's Commemorative Challenge Coin Project. This project produces a superior Challenge Coin with the West Point Crest (Duty, Honor, Country and registered trademark) on one side and the Class Crest on the reverse side with Motto, R-Day and Graduation Dates. They are a relatively inexpensive keepsake that parents use to give to grandparents, family, and friends. In total through 2021, over 33,000 of these coins have been sold with all profit going back to each successive class. This starter fund has been averaging $30,000 per year over the past several years and is funneled through the AOG to the Class Treasury. The West Point Parents Club has a regular membership of over 200 families and well over 300 Alumni Associate members making it one of the largest active West Point Parents Clubs.
The West Point Parents Club of South Florida recently got together to make boodle Easter bags to be delivered for Easter weekend. An Easter bag was sent to all 46 cadets that hail from South Florida. Their hope was to send some Florida sunshine to brighten their cadets day, they sure did. Another great job by our parents!
Happy Valentine's Day! The West Point Parents Club of Southeast Pennsylvania delivered boodle bags and WaWa sandwiches to West Point cadets on Valentine's Day. Lots of happy cadets at the pickup spot! Thanks, parents, for making the trip!
The West Point Parents Club of Southwest Florida Joined the West Point Society of Naples (in the, Then & Now Education Series: Recruiting & Selection of West Point Cadets. As COVID continues to limit in-person events, the WPS of Napes launched an educational webinar series on February 2nd to engage Society members and Old Grads. The first session featured an Admissions brief highlighting the changes in the candidate process that have transpired since many of the members had gone through it and what the process for identifying, screening, and supporting the young men and women interested in applying to West Point looks like today.
COL(R) Mike McMahon '81 leads the southwest Florida Field Force team which consists of 3 Parents Club members: Bob Jahn (Class of 16 parent), Tony DiBiase (Class of 20 parent) and LTC (R) Bruce Eggers (Class of '23 parent). He led the Zoom meeting and highlighted:
He was joined by the West Point Parents Club of Southwest Florida's President, Jill Corcoran, who outlined the role parents play in the cadets' 47-month experience. Members were briefed on how the Parents Clubs support incoming cadets, those at the Academy, the local area Society, USMA and the Association of Graduates.
For those who were unable to attend in person, a recording was made available for those who would like to view from home at a future date.
The West Point Parents Club of Southwest Florida & the West Point Society of Naples enjoyed giving back to a local family in need of assistance this Christmas holiday.
Joined by family, friends, business partners and co-workers, they created a little Christmas magic by buying Christmas gifts, groceries & household supplies for a local southwest Florida family.
Their goal was to embrace the spirit of giving this holiday and their hope for the family was that they would be able to feel the genuine love and support that was intended in each gift.
This local area family was left speechless when they also received over $2,600 in cash and gift cards to help with future expenses. The group received Christmas morning pictures from their "adopted family" and there were many smiles and much gratitude.
The West Point Parents Club of Southwest Florida were proud participants in the 2020 Virtual Turkey Trot. Bruce & Gonny Eggers led the pack for the southwest Florida group. The club had a lot of fun staying active, while celebrating the holiday and contributing to a great cause, the Army A Club Fight On To Victory Campaign!
For this past Thanksgiving weekend, the West Point Parents Club of South Florida shared their appreciation and gratitude for their cadets with Boodle bags from The Shops of Jones Farms in Cornwall. Nearly 50 of their cadets, from Plebes to Firsties, received a Boodle bag filled with apples, cookies muffins, fudge, and a personalized note. What a thoughtful way to show they care!
Every fall, the West Point Parents Club of Georgia (WPPCGA) sends the approximately 200 Georgia Cadets boxes of boodle to raise their spirits and let them know that they are missed by their families. The tradition is that each family brings 200 snack or sundry items and meets up in a location large enough to accommodate the packing of paper grocery bags assembly-line style, pack the bags into boxes for shipping, and then select parents ship the boxes to designated Cadets who then distribute them to the rest of the Georgia Cadets.
As fate would have it, 2020 would require changes to the manner in which the Parents Club showed its love to the Cadets. First, given COVID restrictions concerning large gatherings of people limited the number of parents who could be concentrated in one location. Given the restrictions at USMA on leaving post, there has been a significant increase in shipments arriving at the Cadet Mailroom, so trying to minimize the size of the packages for each Cadet was a requirement. Finally, distribution at West Point was complicated by restrictions on unnecessary contact between Cadets from different companies.
The solution that the WPPCGA came up with was to meet in smaller groups of families around the state. At each of the four locations, 33 parents brought various items that would be packed into mid-size, 6"X9" mailers and sent directly to the Cadets. Each Georgia Cadet received a $20 Corps Cash Card and whatever the families at each location brought to pack into the envelopes. Among the items sent were facemasks, sanitary wipes, cartoons, no-contact door openers for key chains, stickers, and instant lottery tickets. Envelopes were addressed, items were carefully packed into them, and a handwritten note full of love and encouragement was added before they were sealed for shipment.
Initial reports are that the Boodle Envelopes were well received- the Georgia Cadets enjoyed them- especially the Corps Cash card. Unfortunately, there haven't been any reports of any Cadets winning big jackpots with the lottery tickets. Post-Breakout evaluations indicated that the process worked well, and the Corps Cash Cards may be a good alternative to Boodle Packages in the future.
The West Point Parents Club of North Texas recently held a Fall Boodle Box & Hoodie Event. This was originally planned to coincide with an Army vs. Air Force game watch party, but the watch party will have to wait for now. They gathered in the parking lot of a furniture store in the Dallas Fort Worth area. With more than 120 boxes filled they reminded their cadets how much they are loved and thought of. They have received a lot of nice compliments from the cadets that this boosted their morale as they make the final push to the end of the semester. The hoodie has been spotted in the Grant Hall turn-around and in several locations for spirit day.
The West Point Parents Club of South Texas recently had a meeting with a guest speaker from the United Service Organizations (USO). Their general meeting was with SGM(R) Josh Solomon, now working for the USO in San Antonio, TX. Josh gave a briefing/overview of what the USO is and does for our service members and their families. The meeting concluded with chatting about the holiday travels and helped answer each other's questions.
The West Point Parents Club of Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia (WPPC-MDDCVA) Graduate Parents came together for an Active Duty Soldiers Care Package Donation Event on Saturday, November 7, 2020 at the National Presbyterian Church, donated collected, packed and shipped care packages to those deployed (all services) and in harm's way (Iraq, Afghanistan). The Goal was to ship 50 Boxes. The Result was 179 Boxes Shipped! Congratulations to the WPPC-MDDCVA Graduate Parents for a "Grand Slam" - way to knock it out of the park! Outstanding Effort & Job Well Done.
The West Point Parents Club of Southwest Florida of Southwest Florida had a fantastic event recently, packing Boodle for the Southwest Florida cadets. Many participated remotely by sending their items in advance to the Club Leaders' homes and a small group gathered to do the packing. By leveraging an Amazon Wish List, those unable to attend in person joined in the fun. Southwest Florida cadets will be enjoying Halloween treats thanks to their efforts!
The Distinguished West Point Parent Club of Southwest Florida is proud to be one of the 41 clubs nationwide who joined forces and raised funds for the Directorate of Cadet Activities (DCA) Fund to support Corps-wide spirit initiatives to positively impact cadet morale. We would like to express our appreciation for the families who upon request immediately sent checks to WPAOG and participated in this giving effort. They send thanks to fellow parent club leaders for the opportunity to work collaboratively to support their kids and the Corps.
The West Point Parent Club of South Florida acknowledged their Firsties during this past Ring Weekend. The parents club had the Bear Mountain Bakery deliver "Bags of Goodies" to Cadets to pick up at the Grant turn around. They did this to congratulate their Firsties on their accomplishments and marking a milestone on their 47-month journey.
The West Point Parent Club of South Florida recently acknowledged their Plebes. They sent their Plebes 4x4 cookies with the South Florida crest designed on it, from Cookies by Design. This was a congratulations for completing Beast and wishing them the best of luck in their Plebe year.
The West Point Parent Club of South Florida held a Zoom meeting on September 24, 2020. This was the first meeting of the 2020-2021 school year. The meeting was for parents to get to know each other and discuss the latest news.
Watch live as the Class of 2024 participates in the Acceptance Day Parade, Saturday, August 15, 2020 at 10:00 am. Acceptance Day marks the completion of Cadet Basic Training as the new cadets officially become Plebes. https://youtu.be/DLLjxSdVW0s.
The West Point Parent Club of Maryland, D.C. and Virginia had the privilege of supporting an exceptional effort led by their very own sons and daughters to take care of some very deserving American Veterans. Operation Golden Shield is committed to improving the care and protecting the health of our nation's warriors, the Veterans who have served our nation honorably and who now live in VA nursing homes and community living centers. Founded by Cadet Caleb Suh '23 and led by cadets and midshipmen from West Point and Annapolis, the team successfully mobilized local communities to meet the needs of our Veterans and of those who are caring for our Veterans. Congratulations to Caleb Suh and his team! Through Caleb's tremendous organization efforts, team building skills, and outreach to Cadets and Midshipmen, he was able to bring together 40 future leaders and make a difference in a noble effort supporting our American Veterans. Well Done!
The West Point Parent Club of New Jersey hosted their annual Halfway Thru Beast Picnic on Saturday, August 1, 2020. While not a typical year, over 75 parents and family members representing each of the current USMA classes attended as did some of our Alumni parents. It was a great day connecting with other families and celebrating our NJ Cadets as they complete Cadet Basic Training, leadership details and other summer training and classes prior to the start of the academic year. While our parents will miss being able to attend March Back and A-Day the support they have for each other was palpable as seasoned parents shared stories and our newer parents gained insight into the whole 47-month West Point Experience.
The West Point Parent Club of Southwest Florida hosted a meet and greet on July 29, 2020 to welcome the families of their new cadets and those who recently relocated to the southwest Florida area. They raised a glass to toast and celebrate being recognized by the West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG) as a 2020 Distinguished Parents Club and discussed their continued commitment to supporting West Point cadets, parents, candidates, and graduates in their local area community.
Congratulations to West Point Parent Club of North Carolina for being named a Distinguished West Point Parents Club for 2020. The award recognizes significant support of West Point and its cadets, parents, and graduates through effective programs and activities at West Point and in our communities.
Special thanks and acknowledgement for the tremendous efforts and long hours of the dedicated Club Officers, Directors, and Committee Chairs - along the host of volunteer parents - who made amazing things happen taking care of their sons and daughters at West Point and while traveling away from the Academy.
Much recognition to Ann F. Sisk for her leadership, teamwork, and resilience as the Club's President. Well Done, Ann.
The Distinguished Society Awards formally recognizes Parent Clubs for their hard work and contributions to West Point and the Long Gray Line while providing ideas for other areas they can expand on for their constituents. Each Parents Club is autonomous and structured in a way that best suits the purpose and activities of its membership.
Not so long ago, but what seems like a long time, the Presidents' David & Cindy Pounds and Vice-Presidents' Ken & Andrea Jaycox of the West Point Parent Club of Greater Houston got to go to the 2019 Army-Navy Game. They are shown here, and sitting in the upper background is our Commander-in-Chief Donald Trump in the Red Cap.
Congratulations to West Point Parent Club of Maryland, D.C. and Virginia for being named a Distinguished West Point Parents Club for 2020. The award recognizes significant support of West Point and its cadets, parents, and graduates through effective programs and activities at West Point and in our communities.
Special thanks and acknowledgement for the tremendous efforts and long hours of the dedicated 2019 and 2020 Club Officers, Directors, and Committee Chairs - along the host of volunteer parents - who made amazing things happen taking care of their sons and daughters at West Point and while traveling away from the Academy.
Much recognition to Dave Reichenthal for his leadership, teamwork, and resilience as the Club's President spanning both the 2019 and 2020 Awards. Well Done, Dave.
Recenlty the West Point Parent Club of South Texas, Elected Board Member held a planning meeting over dinner and drinks after their cadets West Point. They tried to make it a little fun enjoying Margaritas during the meeting.
"Today I was privileged to send off a cadet candidate for the incoming class of 2024, Charlie Rosbrook of the Charlotte, NC area. Charlie's RDay is tomorrow. He's flying up to Newark later today and catches a bus to the Academy in the morning."
"I connected with him over Zoom last week."
"Earlier today he sent me a text that read in part: "is there a verse in the Bible that might help me get through Beast?" (Charlie is a new believer in Jesus.) Among others, I suggested – Psalm 121:1-2 "I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.""
"I gave him a small New Testament Bible so he had one to read at Buckner during Beast."
"I also gave him one of my Class of '74 caps, one that I got at the 40th reunion. He told me he'd wear it with 'pride!'"
So guys… as we begin investing into our 50 Year Affiliate Class of 2024, be praying for Charlie and the other members of the class as they begin their journey to become part of the Long Gray Line."
Since the West Point Parent Club of New Jersey (WPPCNJ) could not be with their Class of 2024 parents in person at RDay this year, the club decided to meet virtually with our newest parents each night.
WPPCNJ hosted a Virtual Happy Hour on the club's Google Meets platform each night of RDay so their parents could share stories, chat and laugh together as they toasted their New Cadets.
Some even hopped on the day before their New Cadet's reporting day to get good "intel" on what was in store for their drop-off the next day. Cocktails and fuzzy slippers were optional.
The West Point Parent Club of Colorado hosted a send-off event in Castle Rock, CO for new cadet candidates of the Class of 2024. West Point Society of The Pikes Peak Region and Denver had a strong presence, even more importantly, four reps from USMA '74 (50-year Affiliate: Bill Kenny, Steve Shambach, Rudy Veit, and Linda Rowe (West Point spouse and Mom!)).
It was a beautiful, breezy, sunny outdoor venue which allowed reasonable social distancing for the 130+ participants. Most importantly, 14 of 19 Cadet Candidates from Colorado with family and friends as well as close to a dozen cadets home due to Covid with their parents/families were able to participate.
This provided a perfect setting for current cadets to talk to the candidates while new WP parents received great coaching and information from the seasoned parents. "E'er may that line of gray Increase from day to day"
Cadet Preston Pounds '22 with Parents David & Cindy Pounds, Presidents of West Point Parent Club of Greater Houston at the Joint Service Academy Military Ball (JSAMB). The West Point Parent's Club of Greater Houston under the leadership of Mary Claire Upton was the lead host the ball with Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines.
The West Point Parent Club of South Texas hosted an All Academies Get Together. They took to the Ice and enjoyed an evening of Hockey at a San Antonio Rampage game. Their guest speaker was Colonel Patrick Osborn, Orthopaedic Surgeon, BMAC (USAFA '93).
The West Point Parent Club of North Carolina hosted their three area NC Hail and Farewell virtual ceremonies last week. With the help of North Carolina West Point Societies and 50 Year Class Affiliates, they welcomed North Carolina incoming cadet candidates and gave special farewell recognition to their Firsties. The attending cadets and society members ended each ceremony with the Army Rocket Cheer!
They completed the four-night event with a Q&A session for parents and one for the cadets only.
The West Point Association of Graduates thanks all of our donors who made 2019 such a resounding success! Because of you, we had an outstanding year and raised $48.3 million in cash receipts for the Academy and WPAOG. Year over year, our alumni participation rate continues to grow and in 2019, we reached 37 percent, a two-percent jump from the year prior. Your gifts and participation strengthen the Academy's Margin of Excellence programs for cadets and sustain the traditions that honor generations of West Point graduates. Watch our "Thank You" video at https://vimeo.com/389561472 to see highlights from the past year at West Point.
Thank you to everyone who made a gift of $1,000 or more to the West Point Parents Fund in 2019. You are now a member of the 2020 Superintendent's Circle. Parents in the Superintendent's Circle will be invited to special events in 2020: Projects Day, Superintendent's Circle Weekend, and Superintendent's Circle Special Parent/Cadet Reception during Family Weekend. More information will be sent to Superintendent's Circle members. The Superintendent's Circle benefits have been elevated for 2021. To learn more about WPAOG's Recognition Circles and Superintendent's Circle benefits, please visit WestPointAOG.org/WestPointRecognition. If you have any questions, contact Parent Relations at 845.446.1535 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Ten cadets from Arkansas are slated to graduate in May, two are currently company commanders in the Corp.
Sport recruits from Arkansas: They have received word that McKenzie Muse from Bryant, AR was recruited to play women's basketball at Army. She will be the first Arkansan to play basketball at Army. Ozark's Bryant Burns signed to play football at Army. He was a 2-star recruit and the 19th ranked player out of AR.
They just completed their boodle packing for their 33 cadets +1 who is currently at the USMAPS. They have two boodle events each year, one during the "gloom period" for all AR cadets and then one in the fall for their new cadets after classes start. They feel this is a good way to stay connected with their cadets and to let them know they support them as they battle academics and work toward beating the Dean.
They are slated to do 3-4 fundraisers this year, one of which will be a charity fundraiser. Each year they have donated the proceeds from one raffle to a charity of their choosing, last year was the Thomas Surdyke Foundation and the year prior was the Gary Sinise Foundation. The class of 2020 parents also supported the CJ Morgan Foundation through a donation to the GoFundme page.
Around 40 West Point Parent Club of New Jersey members attended the club's annual Boodle Box Packing Party in Bridgewater, NJ on Saturday, February 22, 2020. Current cadet parents and alumni parents of Old Grads got together for a few hours to enjoy each other's company, share some stories and pack a "little love from home" in support of the Dean's #BeatTheGloom. After a quick tally, around 100 boxes were filled and driven up to Post for our cadets to enjoy. A few alumni parents also attended who packed a box for their Old Grad, sending to places as close as Ft. Drum, NY, and as far away as Sweden.
October 25-27 was Family Weekend, where cadet parents, grandparents, and family members were invited to learn more about cadet life and West Point. The weekend included academic presentations, tours, cadet demonstrations, information on athletics and clubs, and the Army v. San Jose State football game. Cadets were able escort their families and provide a view of West Point from the cadet perspective.
WPAOG sponsored coffee on Friday at the Family Weekend Welcome Center, and on Saturday, various West Point Parents Clubs hosted tailgates all around campus for cadets and their families. The WPPC of Greater Houston and the WPPC of Northern Texas jointly hosted the 17th Annual Texas Tamale Tailgate (T3) immediately after the football game at the '49er Lodge, with country music and familiar tastes of Texas BBQ and tamales.
WPPCs of Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Wisconsin also hosted Saturday tailgates with unique regional foods. In support of the West Point Parents Fund, the WPPC of Greater Houston and WPPC of Northern Texas presented a check for $2,000 and the WPPC of Michigan presented a check for $1,500. Shelisa Baskerville, WPAOG Parent Giving Officer, and Deb Dalton, USMA Parent Communications Liaison, accepted on behalf of WPAOG and the Academy.
During the Army v. San Jose State game on October 26, Jackie Jimenez P'20, Cattie Kim P'21, Dirk Dodson P'22, and Ken Jaycox P'23 represented West Point Parents and presented a check for $2,900,000 to the Academy.
Joining them on the field was the President and CEO of the West Point Association of Graduates, Todd Browne '85, and Shelisa Baskerville, WPAOG Annual Giving Parent Relations Manager.
Accepting on behalf of West Point was Command Sergeant Major Jack H. Love. This generous gift raised by West Point Parents will support Margin of Excellence programs which allow all cadets to reach their highest potential. Thank you to all our parents and families for their incredible support!
The West Point Parent Club of Southwest Florida & West Point Society of Naples enjoyed giving back to a disabled veteran & her family this Christmas holiday.
Joined by family, friends, business partners and co-workers, they created a little Christmas magic by buying Christmas gifts, dinner, and groceries for a southwest Florida veteran and her family.
Their goal was to bring joy to someone who selflessly served and their hope for the family was that they would be able to feel the genuine love and support that was intended in each gift.
This local area family was left speechless when they also received over $2,000 in cash and gift cards to help with future expenses. The group received Christmas morning pictures from their "adopted family" and there were many smiles and much gratitude.
The West Point Parent Club of Utah, along with the USAFA Parents Club and the USNA Parents Club of Utah, held their annual All Academies Ball on December 28, 2019 at the University Marriot in Salt Lake City.
The attendees were honored to hear from two retired Air Force Colonels, both with an extensive career in Aerospace. First speaker was Lt. Col Denise Harris, current Senior Aeropsace Science Instructor at Wastach Highschool in Heber, UT. She spoke on life as on officer and finding fulfillment in all assignments.
Following Lt. Col Harris, the ball was honored to hear from Col Gail "Hal" Halverson USAF (R). Also known as "Uncle Wiggly" or the "Berlin Candy Bomber", 99 year old Col. Halverson shared videos of footage of his time dropping parachutes of treats throughout West Berlin following the Russian Occupation after World War II and encouraged the future officers to always carry with them 3 key elements to a successful career: Attitude, Gratitude, and Service Before Self.
More than 50 West Point Parent Club Leaders attended WPAOG's annual Leaders Conference, August 14-17, at West Point. For four days, 311 volunteer leaders heard from WPAOG and USMA officials about the state of the Academy and WPAOG, and learned lessons they can take back to their constituents. WPAOG Chairman LTG(R) Joe DeFrancisco '65 lauded the parent leaders attending the conference as the best resource to inspire cadets—"They are our future members." In addition, 15 Parents Clubs were recognized as Distinguished Parents Clubs.
While the Academy receives federal funding to support its core programs, which provide the basic requirements to earn a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission in the United States Army, many cadet projects and activities that are of great value but outside the "core" designation receive minimal to no funding from the government. West Point needs these programs to recruit and educate the very best candidates in a highly competitive environment. This is why private funding from our alumni, parents and friends is so important—it supports unique experiences and extraordinary developmental programs for cadets that go above and beyond the Academy's core programming to create the Margin of Excellence, making a West Point education like no other. Please consider supporting West Point by giving a gift at WestPointAOG.org/GiveOnline.
WPAOG Welcomed USMA 2023 New Cadets and Families at a Pre-R-Day Social.
On June 30, the day before R-Day for USMA 2023, a few showers didn't stop more than 1,150 families and friends of cadet candidates from stopping by WPAOG for our third annual Pre-R-Day Ice Cream Social. WPAOG Staff were on hand to answer questions and provide a warm welcome. Nothing like ice cream to relax on a hot day! View photos.
The West Point Parent Club of Michigan had a busy summer. They kicked it off with their annual Picnic to welcome the Class of 2023 and Congratulate the Class of 2019. They were honored to have many Old Grads join them. Len Dixon '73 entertained with stories of his USMA experiences and personally welcomed all 2023 cadet candidates.
Photo Right: Some 2023 Parents gather for a pic
The fun continued throughout the summer after the Cadet Candidates reported to USMA and many of the other cadets were off on summer trainings. This summer they held seven informal events, split up between the West side of Michigan and the East side of Michigan including coordinating a dinner with a local Blue Star Mothers group and their annual Golf Outing and Dinner Fund Raiser.
Photo Left: Golf Outing Winning Team
Finishing the summer on a fabulous note with five members attending West Point for the Leader's Conference and some attending Field Force Training. Both the Parents Club of Michigan and West Point Society of Michigan were honored with Distinguished Club awards at this year's Leaders Conference!
Have you looked at WPAOG's Cadet News page lately? These are stories we receive daily about cadet clubs and activities, academic achievements, athletic achievements and more. Your cadets are phenomenally successful, and this is our way of showing them off to the world! If you want, you can subscribe to have all the news delivered right to your email inbox. Just look for the link at the top of the page at WestPointAOG.org/CadetNews and you can also follow WPAOG social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
West Point and WPAOG appreciate the commitment and generosity of all our parent donors. Your support makes a tremendous impact on the Corps of Cadets—the future leaders of our Army and nation—and strengthens every aspect of the Margin of Excellence. Your gifts to the West Point Parents Fund support the following types of activities:
The WPAOG Parent Handbook provides everything you need to know about being a member of the West Point community and participating in your cadet's 47-month experience. A tool to help families meet the unique challenges of having a son or daughter attend West Point, the guide includes an academic year calendar, as well as valuable information about visiting West Point, resources available to families, WPAOG support and services, connecting with other families through the WPAOG website's Parent Portal, how to become involved with Parents Clubs, and special events. Thanks to generous donations to funds like the West Point Parents Fund, the Parent Handbook is complimentary to all families. Please contact Shelisa Baskerville, WPAOG's Parent Relations Manager, at firstname.lastname@example.com to learn more.
As part of Donor Tribute Day, the West Point Parent Club of DC, MD, VA presented a gift of $20,000 to the Class of 2019 Class Gift Fund, from proceeds of the Class Afghan sales. Cadet Isabella Vargas '19, Class Historian, received the gift from Jacquline Grose, Parent Club Representative from the West Point Parents Club of DC, MD, VA. The check ceremony was part of a special luncheon in conjunction with Projects Day 2019, where BG Cindy Jebb '82, Dean of the Academic Board, and cadets shared how the more than 24,500 donors in 2018 provided them with opportunities to further develop academically beyond the Academy's core education through Margin of Excellence programs. Many of the honors and national rankings earned by the Academy and our cadets are a direct result of development and research programs and activities provided by donor support.
The 2018 – 2019 year was filled with exciting West Point events and our club was actively involved in so many. Thank you all for the memories and the support you have shared with West Point, our cadets and each other. We have a wonderfully blended group of people from New Cadet Candidate families to "Old Grad" families. We look forward to another wonderful year together. We may not know what lies ahead, but we do know that we have a strong and compassionate community to walk beside us.
Click here to Read the Entire Review.
Perfect day for a Land of Lincoln tailgate! Weather was beautiful, and Army couldn't have had a better game against Temple with a big win in OT! This was the first year in many that the WPPC-IL switched from an all-out catering event to a good, old-fashioned grilling escapade. They had over 110 in attendance with an additional 30+ cadets that came for the food & actually STAYED for the festivities. Thanks to LTC McManus who provided his bean bag toss and the infamous beersbee game for cadets & families to enjoy. Even though most families flew the distance, everyone made a concerted effort to bring a dish to pass and provide for a Styrofoam cooler & bags of ice. There were plenty of volunteers who pitched in to make this year's tailgate a great success. Maybe next year our club will try its hand at ribs instead of burgers & dogs!
The 15th annual Texas Tamale Tailgate was held after Army's big overtime win Saturday Oct. 21! T3 is held at the beautiful 49er Lodge and the gorgeous weather did not disappoint. The tailgate is hosted by the West Point Parents' Clubs of Greater Houston and North Texas for cadets and friends.
Over 600 Texans and "Texans-for-a-day" were treated to a real-Texas BBQ provided by the JBW BBQ team from Wichita Falls, Texas. The 12-person strong JBW BBQ trailered their BBQ smoker and all the fixin's, including over 1,100 pounds of Texas brisket, ribs and sausage as well as delicious Texas Tamale Company products.
The Texas Tamale Tailgate is made possible by over 70 volunteers from both the WPPCGH and WPPCNT. A big thank you to the many sponsors and especially JBW BBQ team, Southwest Airlines, Shiner Beer, Texas Tamale Company, Buc-ee's, Charles Cooper/Cyrus One, Go-Go Squeeze, the City of Wichita Falls, TX, Houston Astros, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Dynamo and the Houston Texans!
As the oldest Parent Club, The West Point Parents Club of Michigan has a strong tradition in providing support to the Cadets, families, and The United States Military Academy, itself. The investment of time and money to benefit the cadets has always been a top priority. It is our pleasure to presented two checks to the WPAOG to help support Cadet Activities for the 2017-2018 academic year.
Pictured: (L-R) Jeffrey Kopp, Treasure, Cadet Adam Kopp 2020Eva Price, Corresponding Secretary, Cadet Devin Price 2018, Cadet Samantha Price 2019Shelisa Baskerville, WPAOGBob Riehl, President, Cadet Matthew Riehl 2018Sheri Fernquist, Recording Secretary, Cadet Benjamin Fernquist 2021, Cadet Joshua Fernquist 2019; 2LT. Daniel Fernquist 2016Rita Cornett, Vice President, Cadet Todd Cornett 2019
They are already in full planning mode for hosting their cadets at the annual Tailgate! This year they host on September 9, when Army football takes on Buffalo. This is the biggest club event of the year, as we trek Indiana corn and pork chops, and prepare scrumptious side dishes and desserts, 12 hours east to the Hudson Valley. They host ALL of the Indiana cadets (generally around 80-90 represent our state) and ANY of their invited guests for an afternoon (and into the evening!) of food, fun, and fellowship. It is a labor of love and determination for their club to host this little piece of their Midwestern home for their incredible cadets!
For the past few months, the West Point Parent Club of MD, DC & VA has been selling raffle tickets to raise money for the West Point Parents Fund. The Grand Prize included four club-level tickets and hotel rooms for the 2017 Army-Navy game. The club raised $14,200 from the raffle, and presented a check for that amount at the WPAOG's ice cream social on July 2. Special thanks also go to the WPPC of Central Virginia; WPPC of North Carolina; and various WP Societies in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina that helped spread the word about the raffle among their members and/or allowed raffle tickets to be sold at their events – a great example of parent clubs and WP societies working together for a common goal!
The WPPC CNY covers a wide area in New York State - from East of Rochester to west of Albany, much of the Southern Tier and as far north as Ft. Drum and the Canadian border. We enjoy cheering on our West Point athletes when they play at our area colleges, we host an annual welcome picnic for cadet candidates and their families, and throughout the year we have lots of fun packing boodle for our cadets. Below is a photo of some of our parents packing boodle last February. Nothing gloomy about that!
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Spirit Possession as a Trauma-Related Disorder in Uganda
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has waged a long and brutal campaign to overthrow the government of Uganda. Rape and torture are commonly used tactics. Children are kidnapped and forced to serve as soldiers — children and youth comprise almost 90% of the LRA, according to the UN. These child soldiers experience incredibly high rates of trauma exposure, post-traumatic stress, and depression.
A recent study examined the culturally-specific psychological syndrome of spirit possession in this population (Neuner et al., 2012). Although spirit possession is common in many cultures, the phenomenon investigated here is a local variant called cen, where "the ghost of a deceased person visits the affected and replaces his or her identity." It is particularly prevalent in former child soldiers who have killed others. Although some forms of spirit possession are considered relatively benign in Northern Uganda, cen is seen as harmful.
It is important here to consider the complex role of religion and magical belief in motivating and sustaining the LRA (Jackson, 2010), along with socioeconomic and political grievances. The Acholi ethnic group has been depicted as marginalized victims of the Ugandan government by the LRA leader, Joseph Kony. Religion is used as a further means of control (Jackson, 2010):
The quasi-religious aspects of Kony's internal cosmology take this sense of victimhood and expand it, through a magpie-like propensity to adopt elements from other belief systems into which he has come into contact. The result is a hotch-potch of beliefs that are used to reinforce the idea that the Acholi are victims and Kony the mystic who can stop protect them. Violence, in this world-view, is conveniently seen as a means of 'cleansing' – an evil that is necessary to purify the Acholi so that they can be saved...
Furthermore, the Neuner et al., (2012) paper notes that Kony...
...justified his claim to power by spirit possession and said to have supernatural abilities.1 It is reasonable to assume that this propaganda, which drew on widespread local beliefs, has been a fertile ground for the development of harmful forms of spirit possession in the local population, in particular former child soldiers.
With this background in mind, the authors conducted a survey of 1,113 individuals between the ages of 12 and 25 yrs to determine the rates of spirit possession, trauma exposure, and psychological distress. The actual interviewers were members of vivo, an organization that provides psychosocial support to children in Northern Uganda. During a pilot study, the five-item Cen Spirit Possession Scale was developed (shown below).
Notably, a high level of spirit possession (four or more characteristics) was observed in 14.3% of those who were abducted, but only 3.7% of the participants who were not abducted. Girls were more likely to experience cen than boys. In addition, spirit possession was associated with extreme poverty, greater trauma exposure, sexual trauma, and being forced to kill. Most of the youths were treated via traditional means:
Among those who had ever sought help for spirit possession, 15.2% had carried out the nyono tonggweno ritual (stepping on the egg in a cleansing ceremony), 7.9% mato oput (reconciliation ritual after killing), 7.9% lwoko pik wang (washing away the tears), 31.5% other traditional interventions, mainly taking traditional herbs, and 70.2% sought help at a church or from a priest.
Cen led to worse outcomes compared to those without spirit possession, including higher suicide risk, lower functioning, greater perceived discrimination, and higher incidence of PTSD (44.5% vs. 9.8%).2 The authors conclude:
Although cen was not limited to former child soldiers, they reported higher rates of spirit possession, which may be related to the fact that they were more intensely exposed to the LRA belief system.
At the same time it has to be emphasized that spirit possession is usually not perceived as psychopathology within the local culture. Although our data is consistent with the association of cen with impaired mental health, a reduction of this phenomenon to mere psychopathology is inappropriate. The clinical perspective taken in this survey must be complemented by sociological, historical and anthropological studies investigating the cultural and social interpretation of this phenomenon.
Given the cultural specificity of cen, it might be interesting to consider how Western psychiatry views cases of spirit possession.3 In DSM-IV, this syndrome would be classified as Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, with more specific research criteria (but not official diagnosis) fitting Dissociative Trance Disorder (possession trance). Has this changed in DSM-5? We'll take a look in the next post.
1 The New York Times has a fascinating document that details Kony's religious beliefs. He was "possessed" by quite a large number of spirits...
2 See also Remembering and Forgetting in Traumatized Ugandan Refugees.
3 The film industry presents its own flamboyantly supernatural depiction of demon possession for entertainment, as we all know.
Jackson P (2010). Politics, Religion and the Lord's Resistance Army in Northern Uganda. Religions and Development, Working Paper 43. University of Birmingham.
Neuner, F., Pfeiffer, A., Schauer-Kaiser, E., Odenwald, M., Elbert, T., & Ertl, V. (2012). Haunted by ghosts: Prevalence, predictors and outcomes of spirit possession experiences among former child soldiers and war-affected civilians in Northern Uganda. Social Science & Medicine, 75 (3), 548-554 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.028
Grace, Milly, Lucy… Child Soldiers (trailer)
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subset: commoncrawl


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Chaka Khan -- I'm the Next 'X-Factor' Judge ... If they Call Me Back
Chaka Khan I'm the Next 'X-Factor' Judge, If they Call Me Back
Who will be the next judge on "X-Factor"? Britney Spears ... Demi Lovato ... Miley Cyrus ... Chaka Khan ... er, what?
That's right ... sources close to the Queen of Funk tell TMZ ... Chaka is throwing her hat in the ring to snag one of two vacant spots on Simon Cowell's hit talent show.
We're told Chaka -- who has 10 Grammy awards -- is dying to be considered for the lucrative gig and instructed her people to reach out to producers of the show, claiming to be perfect for the part ... toting her 40 plus years of experience in the biz.
Don't get too excited funk fans ... there's no word on whether she's actually been called back.
But we're sure her phone will be ringing any ... minute ... now ...


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"The Great Rowing Machine on Wheels"
The exerciser, which has been built under precise engineering specifications to achieve optimal strength, stability and safety with minimal weight, and which has a motorcycle chain and four inflatable tires, has been designed to promote and maintain physical and emotional health of persons from 4'2″ to 6'6″ tall, (maximum weight 300 lbs), with an aerobic, wholesome, exhilarating, OUTDOOR exercise, on sidewalks, bike pathways, parks and beaches of THE WORLD! It can be transported by automobile using the same racks that are utilized to transport bicycles.
As a product reviewer for Commute By Bike, I am providing my unbiased opinion of any products provided to us by any company. I do not posses any type of relationship with the product's company or parent companies. Companies that send in their goods to be reviewed do not compensate me any way.
Product Tested: Champiot Ultra
Cost: $699.00
My background:
I am 5″7″ 190lbs. I am a bicycle commuter that travels 34miles round trip and I am also a typical weekend warrior mountain biker.
Testing Grounds:
Fullerton, California, Lake Elsinore Sports Festival, and Commute By Bike Picnic.
First Impressions and Comments:
The Champiot Ultra has to be the funnest 4 wheeled, human powered vehicle out there! No matter who rides it, they all fall in love with the Champiot Ultra. The Champiot was a huge hit at the Commute By Bike Picnic. Everyone that tried it had smiles on their faces.
I do like how it has dual brakes and emergency brake levers to help you stop on a dime. Assembly took me over an hour. I did have to grind some of the plastic wheel well in order to make the left rear tire to clear the fenders.
The Champiot offers a full body workout since you're pulling and pushing to make it move and you're using your legs to steer it.
Worksmanship is top notch! We took the Champiot through some major testing, even some downhill action (not recommended) and the machine had no problems absorbing the abuse the trails and riders had to offer.
The drivetrain is beefy! It uses a standard motorcycle chain to make sure you don't snap it while rowing hard and fast.
The Champiot is pretty wide. So that means you're taking up the whole side walk. It's pretty low to the ground so cars would have a hard time seeing you. But if you use a flag, it shouldn't be an issue. It would be hard to find a place to lock it up if you ride it to work or do errands. Also side of the steering axle had an uneven spring causing it to pull the left. This could pose a problem because your legs can eventually get tired and once you relax, the Champiot could sharply turn left.
Would I recommend it?
Yes because you can work out with it and commute with it! The Champiot is a great machine. The Champiot can take you to and from work or the grocery store. It even has a storage area large enough for one bag of groceries.
I would say the Champiot is a great exercise machine and offers an amazing upper body workout. However, commuting with it can be difficult at first, but with enough practice, it would be a fun alternative to riding a bicycle.
Here's the Champiot Review Video to give you an idea how it works.


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6310.0 - Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia, Aug 2006
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/04/2007
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One in five employees (1.8 million people) were trade union members in relation to their main job in August 2006, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is a fall of 6.6% from the 1.9 million members recorded in August 2005. The proportion of employees who were trade union members also decreased over this 12 month period, from 22% of employees to 20%. Other findings on trade union membership at August 2006 included:
In August 2006, the mean weekly earnings of employees in all jobs was $862, an increase of $55 (6.8%) over the previous 12 months. Mean weekly earnings of employees in their main job was $851. Full-time employees earned on average $1,045 per week in their main job, compared with $388 for part-time employees. The mean weekly earnings for full-time male employees was $1,122 and for full-time female employees it was $908. Almost three-quarters (73%) of employees had paid leave entitlements in August 2006 (i.e. were entitled to paid holiday leave and/or paid sick leave in their main job). The proportion of full-time employees with paid leave entitlements was 86%, compared with 43% of part-time employees. A higher proportion of male employees had paid leave entitlements than female employees (76% compared with 70%). Further information can be found in Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia, August 2006 (cat. no. 6310.0). Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window. |


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
If you have been placed on probation, you are required to abide by the conditions set forth on your probation order. The basic conditions are usually to: notify the court of any change of address, employment, obey all laws and notify the court of any tickets you receive while on probation. If you have been ordered to complete any programs, complete community service or anything else as a condition of your probation, you must complete the requirement in the time frame specified and provide proof of such to the court.
Show All Answers
Yes, all citations involving a motor vehicle accident are appearance required. Additionally, a letter from your insurance company stating the status of any claims must be produced at the initial court date.
The only pre-payable tickets are listed on the Violations Bureau Page.
Please allow minimum 10 days for processing before attempting to pay any pre-payable offense.
Any ticket involving a motor vehicle accident is Appearance Required and a letter from your insurance company stating the status of any claims should be produced at the initial court date.
If you would like to ask whether options are available to you to keep the ticket(s) you received off your driving record, you will need to speak with the Prosecuting Attorney on your scheduled court date. When your case is called, inform the Judge that you would like to speak to the Prosecuting Attorney about your options. The Prosecuting Attorney will call your name when it is your turn, and you will then speak with her outside of the Courtroom. If any options are available to you, she will inform you of those at that time. Please note that the Prosecuting Attorney will not discuss any ticket(s) outside of court, or by phone, prior to your scheduled court date.
All questions regarding points and driving records should be addressed by the MO Department of Revenue.
If you are the victim or City's witness in a case, the City Prosecutor's office will only notify you if your presence is needed on that date. If you need more information, you may contact the Prosecuting Attorney's office at (417) 732-3120.


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2011"my first full year at First Things , and my first year as Editor. During the quiet days after Christmas I found myself paging through the years issues. Theres a lot to savor. Here are some of my favorites.
The Man-Made Messiah (January). Its the Lubavitcher rebbe, Manachem Mendel Schneerson whose followers stand outside the mitzvah tanks (the RV style trucks that blare klezmer music) on the eve of major Jewish holiday, asking passers-bye, Are you Jewish? As David Novak explains"and does so in a way that an outsider like me can understand"this typifies Schneersons theological genius. He transformed Chabad Hasidism from what was essentially an isolated refugee culture into a zealous missionary movement within Judaism. Faced with the seemingly omnipotent power of elite secular culture, Schneerson invaded. Extraordinary.
The End of the Bernardin Era (February). George Weigels account of the post-Vatican II American Catholic Church is as much a story of patronage as policy. The fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council is coming up, and we need more of this sort of historical reassessment, approaches that dont rehash the now old progressive accounts.
James Kalbs review of The Conservative Foundations of the Liberal Order by Daniel Mahoney (February). This review and the substantive exchange in the letters section of March issue sharpened the distinction between two ways of being conservative in America: conservative liberalism vs. liberal conservatism. Richard John Neuhaus was a conservative liberal. Kalbs review made me wonder: Is that how I should be thinking about the basic questions of political philosophy?
Thinking About Aging (April). I am disposed to reject anti-aging research as just another example of our modern, self-deifying fantasy. But Meilaender reminded me that Christianity does not think of death as natural, at least not in the ultimate scheme of things. So the technological dream of defeating death isnt altogether wrong"but then again, as Meilaender suggests, its not altogether right either. The result is classic Meilaender: something to read for insight rather than conclusions. Along the same lines and on a similar topic see Real Death, Real Dignity by David Mills (March).
Memories of a Catholic Boyhood (April). Tender and loving, which pretty much describes the sometimes gruff, sometimes combative and insistent author, Ken Woodward. It is part of a forthcoming book on American religion since the 1950s that Im looking forward to reading.
A Prophet Wrongly Honored (June/July). The review essay of Terry Eagletons recent book Why Marx Was Right , by Alan Jacobs, makes me proud to be the editor of First Things . Its beautifully written and well informed, surveying as it does the larger achievement of Terry Eagleton as a literary critic. But more important for me is the way in which this essay brings out the coherence and integrity of Eagletons loyalty to both a heterodox Christianity and a heterodox Marxism. Alan Jacobs thinks these loyalties mistaken (as do I), but they arise out of the serious intellectual, moral, and spiritual concerns of a serious man. That needed to be said about Terry Eagelton (both the seriousness and the mistakenness), and Im glad Alan Jacobs did.
A Splendid Wickedness (August/September). Some weeks ago, Andrew Sullivan posted one of David Bentley Harts amusingly whimsical essays under his poseur alert. Hart is many, many things, but a poseur is not one of them, as anyone who reads this tour de force will recognize. Where else can you get nearly the entire history of the Don Juan myth in modern literature in eight exquisitely readable and often very funny paragraphs? Moreover, Harts thesis has a piercing critical point: our age is too mediocre in its half-hearted narcassism, part-time sensualism, and half-believed materialism to thrill to the heroic hedonism of Don Juan.
I am a great fan of David Bentley Hart, and I might easily have put his fine essay on Heidegger ( A Philosopher in the Twilight [February]) on my list, as well as his superb reviews and many of his columns on the First Things website (especially the one on the greatest nation on earth" Bhutan! "a send-up of simplistic American boosterism). Im very glad to have him in First Things every month in 2012 as our Back Page columnist.
A Free Speech Year at the Court (October). Is it possible to give a substantive account of the important cases decided by the Supreme Court in a short essay? And make it something a non-lawyer like me can understand? This is exactly what Michael McConnell does. I dare say its the best account of the Courts rulings written in 2011.
The Heavy Eyelids of Lucian Freud (October). Ian Marcus Corbin helps us see and understand the way that modern materialist philosophies narrow the artistic vision of our age, falsifying our contemporary claims to a greater realism. As it happens, this essay appeared shortly after Lucian Freuds death. The Metropolitan Museum of Art mounted a special exhibition of his work, which I visited. As I looked at Freuds portraits, which are very fine, I found myself saying, Corbin is right!
Restoring the Words (November) by Anthony Esolen. On Literature and the Life of Torah (November) by Shalom Carmy. Hadley Arkes outlining a fundamental moral critique of the individual mandate that requires us all to purchase health insurance in Natural Rights Trump Obamacare, or Should (December). There are more favorites.
But enough. I hope youll go back and re-read some of essays Ive suggested, or perhaps your own favorites. Whats good is always worth savoring again. And for those who havent read my favorites, check out the archives. Better yet, buy a subscription and get the best of 2012.
R.R. Reno is Editor of First Things . He is the general editor of the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible and author of the volume on Genesis . His previous On the Square articles can be found here .
Become a fan of First Things on Facebook , subscribe to First Things via RSS , and follow First Things on Twitter .
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Gabrielle Union
Stately, smart and stylish, Gabrielle Union may be best known for her turn as cheer captain Isis in the dueling-cheerleaders flick Bring It On. Garbrielle Union began modelling shortly before her graduation from UCLA, and after graduation the modelling jobs turned into acting jobs. She made guest appearances on more than a dozen TV shows, including Friends, Deep Space Nine, and 7th Heaven. Her feature film debut was in the high school romantic comedy She's All That (1999, with Rachael Leigh Cook. Then came Bring It On, another high school story, this one with Gabrielle Union as the tough-minded urban rival of Kirsten Dunst's suburban cheer queen. Union stepped up to a starring role in the romantic comedy Deliver Us From Eva (2003), appeared with Jet Li and rapper DMX in the 2003 gangster drama Cradle 2 the Grave, and co-starred with Jamie Foxx in Breakin' All the Rules (2004). In 2005 she played long-suffering wife Alice Kramden in the feature film remake of the old Jackie Gleason sitcom The Honeymooners (with Cedric the Entertainer in the Gleason role). Her other film roles include the romantic comedy Think Like a Man (2012) and the Tyler Perry drama Good Deeds (2012). Her other television credits include Nightstalker (2005-06), Ugly Betty (2008) and the series Flash Forward (2009-10).
Gabrielle Union married NFL running back Chris Howard in 2001 and they divorced in 2006… She has been romantically linked to NBA star Dwyane Wade… Gabrielle Union is 5'7″ tall, according to a 2001 article in USA Today.
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By Mike Whitney
"Today, we Afghans remain trapped between two enemies: the Taliban on one side and US/NATO forces and their warlord hirelings on the other." Malalai Joya "A Woman Among the Warlords" Scribner Publishing, New York
The Bush administration never had any intention of liberating Afghanistan or establishing democracy. The real aim was to remove the politically-intractable Taliban and replace them with a puppet regime run by a former-CIA asset. The rest of Afghanistan would be parceled-off to the warlords who assisted in the invasion and who had agreed to do much of the United States dirty-work on the ground. In the eight years of military occupation which followed, that basic strategy has never changed. The U.S. is just as committed now as it was at the war's inception to establish a beachhead in Central Asia to oversee the growth of China, to execute disruptive/covert operations against Russia, to control vital pipeline routes from the Caspian Basin, and to maintain a heavy military presence in the most critical geopolitical area in the world today.
The objectives were briefly stated in a recent CounterPunch article by Tariq Ali:
"It's now obvious to everyone that this is not a 'good' war designed to eliminate the opium trade, discrimination against women and everything bad – apart from poverty, of course. So what is Nato doing in Afghanistan? Has this become a war to save Nato as an institution? Or is it more strategic, as was suggested in the spring 2005 issue of Nato Review:
The centre of gravity of power on this planet is moving inexorably eastward … The Asia-Pacific region brings much that is dynamic and positive to this world, but as yet the rapid change therein is neither stable nor embedded in stable institutions. Until this is achieved, it is the strategic responsibility of Europeans and North Americans, and the institutions they have built, to lead the way … security effectiveness in such a world is impossible without both legitimacy and capability." ("Short Cuts in Afghanistan", Tariq Ali, counterpunch)
President Barak Obama's speech at West Point was merely a reiteration of US original commitment to strengthen the loose confederation of warlords--many of who are either in the Afghan Parliament or hold high political office--to pacify nationalist elements, and to expand the war into Pakistan. Obama is just a cog in a much larger imperial wheel which moves forward with or without his impressive oratory skills. So far, he has been much more successful in concealing the real motives behind military escalation than his predecessor George W. Bush. It's doubtful that Obama could stop current operations even if he wanted to, and there is no evidence that he wants to.
The Pentagon has settled on a new counterinsurgency doctrine (COIN) which it intends to implement in Afghanistan. The program will integrate psyops, special forces, NGOs, psychologists, media, anthropologists, humanitarian agencies, public relations, reconstruction, and conventional forces to rout the Taliban, assert control over the South and the tribal areas, and to quash any indigenous resistance. Clandestine activity and unmanned drone attacks will increase, while a "civilian surge" will be launched to try to win hearts and minds in the densely populated areas. Militarily, the goal is to pit one ethnicity against the other, to incite civil war, and to split the country in smaller units that can be controlled by warlords working with Washington. Where agricultural specialists, educators, engineers, lawyers, relief agencies and NGOs can be used, they will be. Where results depend on the application of extreme violence; it will also be...unsparingly. This is the plan going forward, a plan designed for conquest, subjugation and resource-stripping. Here is an excerpt from Zoltan Grossman's article in counterpunch "Afghanistan: The Roach Motel of Empires" which details the balkenization strategy:
"We are arming and financing the same vicious men (the Northern Alliance) who brought fundamentalism to Kabul in the first place....Like the Soviets, the Americans do not understand that the insurgency is driven not only by Islamist fundamentalism, but also by ethnic nationalism. In the case of the Taliban, they are representing the grievances of the Pashtuns who have seen the artificial colonial "Durand Line" divide their homeland between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The best way to defuse the Taliban is to recognize the legitimacy of this historical grievance, and incorporate Pashtun civil society into both governments.
But instead of unifying the different ethnic regions of Afghanistan, the NATO occupation seems headed more toward a de facto partition of these regions. The foreign policy team that President Obama has assembled includes some of the same figures who advocated the ethnic-sectarian partition of Yugoslavia and Iraq. Obama's Special Envoy to Af-Pak, Richard Holbrooke, authored the agreement that partioned Bosnia into Serb and Muslim-Croat republics in 1995, in effect rubberstamping the ethnic cleansing that had forcibly removed populations during a three-year civil war. He also turned a blind eye when Serb civilians were expelled from Croatia the same year, and from Kosovo in 1999.
President Karzai recently instituted a series of laws on women in Shia communities, causing an outcry from women's rights groups. Hardly unnoticed was his application of different legal standards to different sectarian territories—a sign of de facto (informal) partition. Various "peace" proposals have advocated ceding control of some Pashtun provinces to the Taliban. Far from bringing peace, such an ethnic-sectarian partition would exacerbate the violent "cleansing" of mixed territories to drive out those civilians who are not of the dominant group—the process that brought the "peace of the graveyard" to Bosnia, Kosovo, and much of Iraq." ( Zoltan Grossman, "Afghanistan: The Roach Motel of Empires" counterpunch)
If Grossman is correct, than Obama's professed commitment to Afghan liberation merely masks a vicious counterinsurgency strategy that will ethnically cleanse areas in the south while driving tens of thousands of innocent people from their homes. This is essentially what took place in Baghdad during the so-called "surge"; over a million Sunnis were forced from the city by death squads and Shia militia under the watchful eye of US troops. US counterinsurgency wunderkind Gen Stanley McChrystal played a pivotal role in pacifying Iraq, which is why he was chosen by Obama to oversee military operations in Afghanistan. Here's a clip from an article by Ulrich Rippert "Europe backs Afghanistan strategy aimed at "regionalization"' on the World Socialist Web Site which provides more details on the plan to Balkenize Afghanistan:
"During his inaugural visit to Washington, new German defense secretary, Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg said it was necessary to put aside "the romantic idea of democratization of the whole country along the lines of the western model" and instead "transfer control of individual provinces step by step to the Afghan security forces."
The new strategy of "regionalization" is aimed at dividing Afghanistan into individual cantons—in a similar manner to what took place in Lebanon and the former Yugoslavia. Up to now the US-NATO occupation supported the government of Hamid Karzai and sold the process to the public as "democratization". However, occupation forces are moving increasingly to hand over power directly to regional warlords and their militias—on the assumption that such regional forces will follow the orders of their imperial masters. As soon as there is no more danger in a specific province, Guttenberg declared, then the international troops should be withdrawn from that area." (Ulrich Rippert "Europe backs Afghanistan strategy aimed at "regionalization"', World Socialist Web Site)
Obama's escalation is not aimed at strengthening democracy, liberating women or bringing an end to the brutal, misogynist rule of religious fanatics. It is pure, unalloyed imperial politics, the rearranging of the map and its people to serve Washington's interests. As journalist Alex Lantier notes on the World Socialist Web Site, the plan does not end with Afghanistan, but stretches across the globe. The hard-right policymakers behind Obama, still have not abandoned their dream of global rule. Here's an excerpt:
"As Obama indicated elsewhere in his speech, this escalation is one step in plans for even broader wars. "The struggle against violent extremism will not be finished quickly," he said, "and it extends well beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan." Mentioning Somalia and Yemen as potential targets, he added, "our effort will involve disorderly regions and diffuse enemies."
The inclusion of this passage made clear that Obama was basing his Afghan policy on a report issued last month by Anthony Cordesman of the influential Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Cordesman wrote: "The President must be frank about the fact that any form of victory in Afghanistan and Pakistan will be part of a much wider and longer struggle. He must make it clear that the ideological, demographic, governance, economic, and other pressures that divide the Islamic world mean the world will face threats in many other nations that will endure indefinitely into the future. He should mention the risks in Yemen and Somalia, make it clear that the Iraq war is not over, and warn that we will still face both a domestic threat and a combination of insurgency and terrorism that will continue to extend from Morocco to the Philippines, and from Central Asia deep into Africa, regardless of how well we do in Afghanistan and Pakistan."
He added: "…the present level of US, allied, Afghan and Pakistani casualties will almost certainly double and probably more than triple before something approaching victory is won." (Alex Lantier "Obama's speech on Afghanistan: A compendium of lies" World Socialist web Site)
In the years ahead, we can expect to see relief and reconstruction efforts stepped up to provide security in the heavily-populated areas while the war in the south is expanded and intensified. Tajiks and Uzbeks, in the Afghan military will be enlisted to fight or expel their Pashtun countrymen, while warlords, druglords and human rights abusers are handed over large swathes of the countryside. 30,000 more troops is not enough to lock-down all of Afghanistan, but it may be enough to force hundreds of thousands of people into regional bantustans where they can be controlled by bloodthirsty chieftains, the very same men who leveled Kabul on April 28, 1992, killing 80,000 Afghan civilians.
This is Obama's plan for Afghanistan, a carbon-copy of George Bush's.


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